The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously declared homelessness a public health crisis on Tuesday. The commission said the move would create a more unified regional approach to the problem.

In another unanimous vote, supervisors also approved a $3 million pilot program that would provide 220 seniors with $500 a month to prevent them from being homeless for 18 months.

“Public health’s approach to homelessness can help coordinate efforts, share resources, and more purposefully help address the root causes of housing insecurity and health in a humane response at scale. ,” said Vice-President Nora Vargas. policy.

“Today, our county is uniting cities, business organizations, and service providers in a collaborative effort to develop innovative, sustainable, long-term solutions to prevent and eradicate homelessness, and bring communities together. We have taken an important step by serving as the convener of the

While the declaration itself will not create new programs or generate new funding, supervisors said it will elevate homelessness as a community problem and draw attention to the health aspects of the problem.

A survey conducted in February found 8,427 homeless people across the county, with more than half living without shelter.

The Regional Task Force on Homelessness, which does the counting, found that 14% of homeless people have a chronic health condition, 18% have a mental health condition, 12% have a physical disability, 13% have a substance use disorder, and approximately 25% are 55 years old. I have discovered that this is all. .

Following the vote, Butler Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages, released a statement supporting the declaration.

“Together we can solve the homeless crisis, but to work together and work as partners with measurable goals, we must move beyond discipline and jurisdictional silos.” It is an important step to foster greater collaboration among local jurisdictions, homeless service providers, health professionals and others to develop resources and comprehensive approaches.”

During the meeting, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s Chief of Staff Nick Serrano spoke out in support of the declaration, saying all levels of government need to work together on the issue.

Jordan Bean, director of policy and communications for the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, said the declaration was very important.

“One thing is clear,” Bean said. “Simply without a home is a dangerous health crisis.”

Homeless advocate Martha Sullivan called the conference to endorse the policy, and the county coroner’s office reported deaths of 495 homeless people in 2021, down from 334 in 2020. said he did

Fletcher said the county has become more involved than ever with homelessness solutions, but more needs to be done locally.

“The easiest thing in the world is for people to stand up and say, ‘It’s not here, it’s not there, it’s not this program, or it’s not this program,'” he said. “The hard and difficult work, though imperfect, is what really gets people off the streets and helps them get the services and help and support they need.” is to introduce the

Most callers and speakers supported the Public Health Proclamation and the Rent Assistance Program for Seniors Facing Homelessness.

Explaining the background to the grant proposal, Serving Seniors President and CEO Paul Downey spoke before a board meeting and his organization released a Needs Assessment Report last year showing how many seniors are making $300 a month. He said he found that the addition would stabilize the housing situation. Downey said 80% of his 400 seniors interviewed for the assessment said they faced housing insecurity for financial reasons.

Bean told his supervisor that the latest count by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness found that about 25% of homeless people on the streets were over the age of 55, and the oldest person counted this year was 87.

“When it’s just a few hundred dollars, we should do everything we can to close that gap,” he said of the rent subsidy. “The easiest way to solve homelessness is to ensure that no one experiences homelessness in the first place.”

Sullivan, a homeless advocate who backed the Public Health Proclamation, also called to express his support for the subsidy program, but said he was disappointed that payments wouldn’t start until next March.

“The urgency is very high,” she said. “These people don’t have it until March. There are a lot of people waiting for this to become homeless. I’m very disappointed that there are only 220 households.”

Applicants must be at least 55 years of age and be the head of the household to be eligible for the subsidy. The applicant’s household income must not exceed her 50% of the area’s median income and the household must have a serious rent burden.

The pilot program will prioritize applicants age 60 and older with an income of 30% or less of the regional median income, and seniors living in one of the 39 Health Capital ZIP Codes. Poorest access to healthy living conditions.